Reawakening
by Landmine003
Summary: After being reassigned with Jane to work for S.H.I.E.L.D., Darcy is shocked to learn she'll be working with Captain America. Not wanting to lose the chance, she approaches him with a story from her family's past. Darcy/Steve
1. Chapter 1

**Reawakening**

_**Summary:** After being reassigned with Jane to work for S.H.I.E.L.D., Darcy is shocked to learn she'll be working with Captain America. Not wanting to lose the chance, she approaches him with a story from her family's past._

_**A/N:** After watching 'The Avengers' and noticing the character Jane was mentioned, I realized that Darcy was still in The Avengers movieverse. For those who don't know, Darcy is NOT an original character, she is Jane's assistant in the movie 'Thor'. She may not be mentioned directly, but it is still conceivable that she would be able to meet the Captain. I believe this to be the first pairing of these two, but even if I'm incorrect, I hope everyone enjoys this unique coupling._

_No rights, of course._

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It was a hot, uncomfortable flight from New Mexico to New York, trapped in the plane for a solid 8 hours. Darcy didn't complain, however, silently ecstatic that S.H.I.E.L.D. had given the two scientists jobs. Of course, the forcible seizure of all of their information on Thor had set them off on the wrong foot, but after their help fighting off Loki and the Chitauri, the two decided to accept the jobs. Erik had been offered a position as well, but he chose to remain a Professor at Culver University. Darcy understood that after all the stress of being brain washed, he simply wanted to continue with his normal life.

The two woman enjoyed first class travel, both chattering nervously as they contemplated their new positions at S.H.I.E.L.D. If they had been flown out to New York City on a first class, non-stop trip, there must have been something important the agents wanted the two to do. Both of the women were excited, but Darcy was worried as well. Jane wasn't expendable like she was. Not only did Jane have the God of Thunder to look after her, but she was also a talented astrophysicist, while Darcy had no real connections to rely on. She was a mid-term college student who worked with Erik and Jane to get credits for college. Besides knowing Thor and Jane, she had no real standing.

The two arrived at the airport, and were able to exit the plane with some speed, giving a whole new respect to first class. They were soon greeted by Agent Barton, standing amongst the crowd, holding up a sign that read "Foster". Of course he couldn't be bothered putting "Lewis" on the paper sign as well. Darcy just sighed dejectedly, following behind her traveling companion as they approached the man.

The agent wore a full suit, crisp white collared dress shirt neatly tucked into his black slacks, the buttons done all the way up to his neck. A tight fitting tie was looped around his neck, tucked into a black overcoat that buttoned half way down his chest. A pair of black leather shoes shone brightly from a fresh polish, probably gotten in the airport while he waited for the two women.

"Things must be important if they sent you to come get us. And you look good in a suit, by the way," Darcy remarked, pleasantly surprised to see Hawkeye here to get them. She definitely hadn't expected one of the Avengers to pick the two women up from the airport. It seemed like a job the two could have accomplished perfectly fine on their own.

"Oh, well, thank you. And this is for a special request from Thor himself," Clint explained, only doing this because it was for a good friend, "The big guy says he's sorry for not being able to get you girls. He's still off in Asgard dealing with his brother. But I hear this isn't the first time you've come into contact with Loki's handiwork?"

Jane just grinned sheepishly, not sure if they should talk about things like this in a public setting. Clint motioned for Darcy and Jane to follow him as he began walking towards the exit, the two trailing behind him. The women were instructed to bring one carry on bag each, and that the rest of their belongings would be sent after they settled in. Darcy had been confused on that part, knowing that she haven't given any of them a key to her home, or even told them where her home was. She shuttered at the thought, realizing that they had probably been watching the two for a while and already had a key made for her apartment.

The three continued to chat pleasantly as they entered a brand new black sedan, parked right in front of the exit. The two women sat in the back seat as Hawkeye jumped into the drivers seat and started the car. An unknown S.H.I.E.L.D. agent sat in the passenger seat quietly, not bothering to enter the conversation. The drive was brief, partly due to the proximity of their complex, and partly due to Clint's terrifying driving. They all arrived in one piece, the unknown agent trying his best to seem unphased, but remained visibly shaken. Agent Barton simply slapped a heavy hand onto his shoulder playfully, laughing as the poor agent jumped out of his own skin. It was obviously the poor mans first time driving with the madman. Jane and Darcy both stepped out, unscathed, but adrenaline pumping.

As soon as the three regained their composure, they followed Hawkeye up the stairs towards the two-story office that was a disguise for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret underground compound. The four entered, passing the fake receptionist, and entering the elevator. Clint soon used a key to turn a small keyhole at the bottom right of the elevator control panel. Instead of giving him immediate access to any of the two floors, the panel popped open to reveal floors B1-B15. He pressed the button for B-3 before closing the control panel and retrieving his key. The elevator lurched into action, bringing them to the third underground floor.

Once the door opened, Clint motioned for the two to enter what seemed to be a hallway of offices. The women turned back to Clint, who remained in the elevator, wondering where to go from here.

"Last office at the end. Fury is waiting for you," was all Clint said before the double door closed in front of him and the two heard the elevator take off to some distant floor.

The two looked to each other for confidence, finding it very intimidating to be meeting with Fury himself. After a moment of panic, the two readjusted their bags before following Hawkeye's instructions. They passed maybe 6 offices in total, all belonging to various higher up S.H.I.E.L.D agents like Fury. Just as Clint had said, at the end of the hall was Fury's office. The two waited outside of the door, trying to gain the courage to knock.

A resounding and deep "Come in" boomed from inside of the room, signifying that Fury already knew of their presence. The two took deep breaths before entering the room, greeted by Fury sitting behind a giant black wood desk with black leather seats placed in front of the desk. They slowly sat down in front of the massive desk, already intimidated by the characteristically furious Fury. He paused a moment to let the girls sit before beginning his explanation as to why they were here.

"You have been called here due to your disturbingly high amount of intelligence on matters of national security," Fury stated blatantly, never having been one for unnecessary talk, "We can't allow you to just walk around with such highly classified information, so I have chosen to give you positions at S.H.I.E.L.D."

Jane had a million questions but was too intimidated to bother to ask. Darcy simply nodded slowly and continuously, trying to make it seem like she was fascinated rather that terrified. Fury looked back and fourth between Jane and Darcy before continuing.

"However, neither of you will be working with the other. Miss. Foster, you are to be placed in the department that works mostly with Thor and Asgardian relations. You will be our diplomat, so I suggest you begin researching Norse mythology _immediately_," Fury explained emotionlessly, not bothered by the hurt looks the two girls exchanged. They had both expected to be working together, as they had done when they met Thor, and during Loki's invasion. They were upset they were to be separated, but Darcy couldn't disagree. She wasn't on the same level as Jane was with her science, and with Thor. Almost as if it was planned, another unknown, middle aged male S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with styled black hair entered without provocation and leaned down to gather Jane's bag.

"This is Agent Travis, he will be escorting you to your new office," Fury stated, gesturing to the agent as he smiled gently to Jane. She smiled back weakly before her expression dropped as she looked back to Darcy. She stood and placed a comforting hand on Darcy's shoulder, whispering 'I'll call you later' under her breath as she followed Travis out the door.

Darcy sat, pinning herself to the back of the seat in suspense, as she watched Jane's retreating form. She turned to look back to Fury, finding him to be just as angry and terrifying as before. He folded his hands on his desk, leaning forward towards the brunette.

"You, Miss. Lewis, are to be given a more sensitive position. As you're well aware, we have a super-soldier from 1942 who has been frozen for the last 70 years and is completely and entirely out of his element," Fury began, earning a very curious stare from Darcy. Captain America had been her hero ever since she was a small girl. The stories her grandfather would tell...

"It is now your duty to reintegrate the man back into normal society. Do you accept?" Fury stated plainly, leaning back in his cushioned black leather chair and waiting for Darcy's response. She simply sat, dumbfounded, looking at Fury as if he was about to tell her he was kidding and she was going to be a Black Widows practice dummy. He sat, patiently, staring into her soul with his one good eye.

"O-of course," Darcy finally responded, realizing that this wasn't a practical joke. She finally cracked a smile, her excitement now starting to outweight her fear. She was going to work with her personal favorite super hero, the man she respected more than anyone on the planet. Fury smiled briefly, the expression looking more like he was being sadistic rather than happy. He pushed a contract towards Darcy, which she carefully read over three times. Just a confidentiality agreement and the promise that she won't try to make the Captain go completely insane with so much new information. She signed eagerly, the last dot on her signature punctuated by another Agent, this one a young, female with long, flowing, strawberry blonde hair entering the room.

"This is Agent Caine, and she'll introduce you to the Captain himself. I hear you have an important story for the Captain, so hurry along," Fury explained as the young woman picked up Darcy's backpack stuffed to the brim with clothes, overnight supplies, and of course, her electronics. The brunette stood, thanking Fury briefly before following the blonde haired S.H.I.E.L.D agent down the hallway and into the elevator.


	2. Chapter 2

**Reawakening**

_**A/N:** Thank you everyone for the pleasant reviews, I truly do appreciate it. I'm having a lot of fun with this pairing, and I hope everyone else is as well._

_I recently found out that after The Avengers, the group wound up living on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hover base, but I find it to be more fitting for the story to have __S.H.I.E.L.D.'s base in a secret building near Stark Tower, and for the heroes to actually live in Stark Tower._

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Darcy and Agent Caine walked side by side out of Fury's office, the thin, blonde supermodel type carrying Darcy's bags with ease. Before the blonde slung Darcy's backpack over her shoulder, the brunette reached in the front pocket and pulled out her wallet, placing it in the back pocket of her black slacks. Following the agent once more, Darcy decided to try to break the ice.

"So, uhh... How long have you known the Captain?" Darcy asked shyly, giving the strawberry blonde haired woman a meek smile. She had seemed to be a bubbly, happy person, but her resounding glare proved otherwise. Perhaps they were all silent, angry agents.

"I do not know him, I'm simply taking you to the floor he trains in and giving you your key for the elevator," she grumbled unhappily, returning her gaze back down the hall. Darcy frowned lightly, looking forward again, disappointed by the lack of hospitality.

They entered the elevator together, and just like Clint had done earlier, popped open the panel and pressed the button for B-12. The elevator jumped into action, shooting down 9 stories underground before coming to an abrupt halt. Agent Caine handed Darcy the key she had just used to open the panel, leaving Darcy alone in the freshly carpeted hallway. Caine gave Darcy one last glare, jealousy in her eyes, as the double doors closed in front of her and the elevator shot off again.

Darcy sighed to herself, pocketing the rather unassuming looking key before turning to look down the hallway. There were dozens of doors and a maze of hallways, and she immediately missed Clint. At least he would have given her some vague directions to follow to reach her destination. Standing in the hallway, and suddenly realizing that the blonde had taken her backpack, she felt naked and lost. She almost began to panic when a door a few steps away from her opened and, coincidentally, Hawkeye himself emerged.

Instead of wearing the suit he had worn at the airport, he now donned his traditional gear. A sleeveless armored vest fit snugly on his lean, built form, his quiver tightly strapped across his chest. A thin, flexible bracer was strapped tightly to the inside of his right forearm, the arm-guard protecting his forearm from the vicious snap of his bow. He wore a pair of kevlar pants with extra armor padding, tucked into a pair of leather, steel toed boots. As he stepped out of the room, he popped his bow into the clamp on his quiver, freeing up his hands.

"Oh, Darcy, I wasn't expecting you to get down here so quick. Fury has never been one to talk for more than necessary huh?" the archer greeted, giving the brunette the best smile he could muster. Darcy was pleased to have Hawkeye calling her by her first name instead of 'Miss. Lewis'. As she watched his smile come and go within a second, she briefly wondered if the smiles were beat out of them when they trained to be assassins. She quickly dropped the thought so she could ask the man a few questions.

"Yeah, Fury is, uhh... real, real terrifying... So, quick question, where _is_ Captain America?" she asked sheepishly, still feeling naked without her belongings, "Caine didn't give me any directions when she dropped me off..."

"Three things. First off, don't call him Captain America, he hates that. The only time you call him that is when he's in his suit. His real name is Steve Rogers," Hawkeye explained quickly, Darcy leaning in and listening intently. The whole time she was here, the only person to bother to help her out or explain anything was Clint.

"Second, don't pay any attention to Agent Caine, she's a raging bitch, and you already outrank her," he continued to explain, earning a started laugh from the brunette. She hadn't been expecting him to use to word 'bitch', having assumed that all of them were sticks in the mud like Fury and Hill. Clint smiled briefly once more before continuing.

"And Steve is in training room seven, destroying our supply of punching bags. Don't worry, Darcy, he may look intimidating, but he's the nicest guy I know," he finished, giving his new brunette friend a gentle pat on the back for support before walking past her and heading towards the elevator.

"Wait! One last question... Where am I going to, you know... sleep?" she asked, having been very concerned about her living arrangements. She was also concerned about where Caine went with her bag. Clint turned around to face her, a bit of a surprised expression on his face.

"I'm surprised Fury didn't cover this... Well, Tony has been nice enough to let us all live in Stark Tower, with a hefty check from S.H.I.E.L.D., no doubt. So, after Steve's finished with his training session, you'll be taking him home, and then you'll get to see _your_ new home. I hear they already got all your stuff moved from New Mexico," Clint explained before giving her a polite wave and entering the elevator. Darcy smiled warmly, happy to have at least one friend here already. Even if he was a highly trained assassin who could probably murder her with nothing more than a rubber band and tin foil. Somehow it made her feel secure though, like there was no way she could ever get hurt here.

She soon followed his instructions, heading down the hallway until sounds of splintering wood, falling rubble, and various battle sounds emanated from the rooms. She looked up at the signs above them, seeing that she had indeed arrived at the training rooms. She quickly counted off the room numbers until she reached training room number seven, pausing in front of the door for a moment before knocking. She could hear someone pounding on a punching bag through the door, and after she knocked the sound stopping briefly before continuing once more.

"Come on in!" a masculine voice politely replied from behind the door, causing Darcy's heart to jump into her throat. She swallowed a few times to rid herself of the lump before opening the door gingerly. She peeked through before entering, just to make sure nothing bad was going to occur, before entering the room and gently closing the door behind her.

There he was. Captain America, Steve Rogers, making a considerable dent in a 300 lbs punching bag. His muscles rippled with every strike, still visible through a tight, pure white t-shirt and light brown slacks. His face was tense as he continued to attack the heavy bag, focusing intently on his assault. He was just as powerful and handsome as Darcy had always imagined he was, and he hadn't aged a day sense...

Once the bag finally dropped to the ground, chains broken and powdered asphalt pouring from a massive hole in its side, he turned around. He smiled brightly at her, grabbing a nearby towel to wipe off the little sweat her had accumulated before approaching her.

"Sorry about that, miss, if I had known there was a lady at the door, I would have stopped immediately," Steve apologized quickly, always the gentleman. Darcy smiled back, blushing nervously as the six foot giant of a man approached her. He towered over her, even when giving her a respectful amount of space to feel comfortable.

"It's okay, and please, call me Darcy," she responded slowly, distracted by the ruggedly handsome man in front of her.

"Darcy. It's nice to meet you Darcy, I'm Steve," he responded kindly, holding out his hand to her. Darcy giggled, a bit embarrassed by his 40's charm, as she reached out to gingerly shake his hand. Once she pulled away, shamelessly staring at the giant of a man before her through her thin glasses, she remembered Fury's comment to her earlier. 'I hear you have an important story for the Captain, so hurry along...' echoed in her mind for a moment before she finally gathered up the courage to start.

"So, umm... There's something really important I think you should know about me and my family before we start working together," the usually social, but now incredibly awkward brunette started. The Captain seemed incredibly worried suddenly, as if waiting to hear the bad news.

"Alright, please go on," Steve responded, giving the brunette his full attention. She liked how he stood patiently, waiting for her to explain instead of bombarding her with questions.

"Well, Back in World War 2, in Italy... y-you saved my granddad's life. He was in a unit lead by a man named Bucky Barnes," Darcy began, already stumbling over her words as she stood face to face with her hero. Steve was stunned when he heard the name of his best friend before the war, before he was forced to crash the stolen plane full of nuclear warheads into the icy tundra of the arctic. His eyes widened slightly and his breath hitched as he listened closer, fascinated by what she had to say.

"They were all captured, and grandpa... he told me that he had no hope of ever returning home. He stayed in that cell, watching his friends get pulled away by the Nazi's," she continued, stuttering a few times as if struggling to get the words out. His eyes were almost burning into her, and Darcy could feel her cheeks grow redder and redder as she continued to tell her grandfathers story.

"Just when it was about to be his turn, Barnes took his place, letting them drag him into the room instead of grandpa. It was just moments after this, as my grandpa says, that a soldier dressed in red, white, and blue dropped from above and freed him and his friends. After the long battle, when he went back to camp, he was able to get a picture with him and the man who saved his life..." Darcy continued shyly, soon reaching into the back pocket of her slacks, and pulling out her wallet. She opened up a pouch designed for change and pulled out a folded, faded, and yellowing piece of paper. She unfolded it carefully, treating the now apparent photo like an ancient scroll, admiring the two men in the photo before handing it the Steve. He took the photo with great care, but with great fascination, gazing at the two soldiers in the photo. He was stunned to see himself, not a day younger, shaking the hand of Darcy's grandfather, whom he remembered like he met yesterday. He was speechless, only raising his eyes from the photo to look back to Darcy when she continued, mouth slightly agape.

"You've done so much for my whole family, for me. If you hadn't saved him, I wouldn't even be alive today... I thought I'd... I wanted to... I just..." Darcy stumbled once more, running her hand through her ebony locks, eyes watering as she looked to the ground, before looking back up to Captain America with the most genuine, thankful smile Steve had ever seen. She lurched forward suddenly and captured her hero in an embrace, pressing her her cheek against his shoulder.

"Thank you," she finally finished, squeezing him tightly, stunning the much older male before he smiled brightly. He wrapped his strong arms around her tiny shoulders and waist, returning her hug with a light one of his own, careful not to crush the small girl. When she finally pulled away, they both still smiled, him handing her the delicate photo and watching as she placed it back into her wallet.

"I've thought about my friends, your grandfather, and the soldiers I was lucky enough to reach in time every day sense my awakening. I'm... I'm grateful that they left that horrible place, that they we able to find their own happiness. Thank you, Darcy, for showing me this," the Captain finally responded, a great weight lifting off of his shoulders. He had no idea what had happened to all the soldiers he had rescued, and hearing Darcy's story gave him great comfort.

"It's no problem. Grandpa Lewis tells the story a lot better than I do, but I'm sure you actually remember it," she responded kindly, blinking rapidly to try to clear her watery eyes. She wiped her eyes, trying to do away with the tears that had formed during her confession. She sniffed lightly, grinning when Steve gave her a comforting smile.

"So, now that you know a little bit about me, I think it might be time to start introducing you to New New York. That is, if you're done with your training session," she stated, using the word New twice for Steve's sake. He was born in New York, and lived Manhattan and Brooklyn until he joined the army, but things were so much different now.

"So you're going to be my new companion, Miss. Lewis, err... I mean Darcy?" Steve asked, seeming genuinely thrilled. To be working along side of a granddaughter of one of his comrades would be exciting. Even though it made him feel incredibly old, he still felt pride in knowing that his actions had done some good.

"Oh, yeah. I used to work with Jane, and we both discovered Thor out in the middle of the New Mexico desert. So they figured if they can't beat us, make us join them," she replied, waiting patiently as Steve collected the three punching bags he had destroyed and approached her once more.

"Sounds exciting, how did you know he was out there?" he asked, genuinely curious. Darcy smiled, absolutely titillated that he was listening to her stories and even asking real, bona fide questions. They continued to talk as they exited the training room, Steve carrying over a half ton of equipment like it was nothing, and Darcy hanging on his every word.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:** I've been having way too much fun with this pairing. However, I also have another story featuring Loki and Darcy if anyone is interested. Just go to my profile and look for a story called 'Amelioration'. This chapter is a lot longer than the previous ones, so, enjoy everyone!_

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Before the pair headed towards the surface, they made a brief stop at the supply room for the training rooms. The Captain effortlessly threw the three destroyed punching bags into an industrial sized dumpster, the reinforced metal denting as the bags dropped to the bottom. Darcy cringed slightly at the booming sound, even as she remained outside of the room. As she peered in, she noticed a myriad of weapons, from old fashioned buck knives to an MK 17 SCAR, carefully organized on one wall. On the other wall hung the few remaining punching bags, other various pieces of gym equipment, and even several stacks of targets for a shooting range. The rest of the room was carefully filled with wooden crates, metal shelves covered with various strange pieces of equipment, and dumpsters lined up near a large metal door that looked similar to a regular garage door.

Darcy's attention was drawn back to the Captain as he exited the room, closing the door softly behind him. He gave her a sweet smile before continuing his trek towards the exit of this place. Darcy walked next to him, finding that she had to walk faster to keep up with his broad strides. It was after a moment of this that Steve asked the brunette a question she hadn't been expecting.

"So, Darcy, do you mind telling me a little bit about yourself?" he asked politely, noticing that she was struggling to keep up and slowing down to her pace. She looked up at him, at first expecting that he wanted to know for security reasons, but then seeing genuine curiosity in his face.

"Oh, well... not much to tell really. I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, graduated from Albuquerque High School, class of 2007. After I graduated, I got a scholarship to study political science at Culver University, so I jumped on that. To get some lab time for my science courses, I applied to work with Erik, he's the professor of Theoretical Astrophysics there. I became Jane's assistant because, well, no one else applied. But my life didn't really begin until I hit Thor with my friends van," Darcy explained, laughing at the thought of having taken down the God of Thunder with a V6 hippie van. Steve listened intently, trying his best to follow Darcy's story as much as he could.

"I understand the feeling. My life started the second I met Dr. Erskine. I never thought I'd get the chance to serve my country, but he gave me the opportunity... Believe it or not, I used to be around 5'5''," Steve responded as they entered the elevator together. He laughed as Darcy did a double take of him, surprised by the information. She simply couldn't see a 5'5'' boy in the 6'2'' man before her. Darcy, after gawking for a moment, simply pressed the button for the first floor of the business S.H.I.E.L.D. was using as a cover.

"How did you get to-" Darcy began, before the sudden shift of the elevator shooting into action knocked her backwards. Failing to reach anything to catch herself in time, she began falling backwards, but was easily caught with one wide hand.

The Captain pushed her back to her feet with one hand, finding that she weighed almost nothing at all. After Darcy steadied herself, blush spreading from the apples of her cheeks, she turned to smile at the six foot giant behind her.

"Thanks, Steve," she thanked, seeing him visibly lighten up when she used his real name. The elevator quickly came to its stop at the ground floor, Darcy keeping her balance this time. The two sliding doors parted before them, Steve letting the mousy brunette exit first before following.

"I have to admit, I get really... nervous going into public. And I thought New York was crowded seventy years ago..." the Captain confided in his new friend, pausing for a moment next to the now empty receptionist desk. Darcy stopped as well, soon turning to look back at him.

"Yeah, it is pretty scary, being around all those people. But I bet not even half as scary as fighting all those aliens... Or even a quarter as scary as _Fury_," Darcy replied, adding a joke at the end to hopefully cheer up the Captain. She smiled sweetly when Steve began to laugh, giving her the whitest, more pristine smile she had ever seen. She gulped dryly, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. She felt her cheeks burn, but simply looked back towards the glass door into the city streets to hide them.

"You do have a point! I'd rather fight another army of alien monsters than to ever get yelled at by Fury again," he laughed loudly, still giving Darcy that mega watt smile. The kind of smile that just made you want to smile back, like you had to be heartless to not be moved. After sharing a laugh, the two continued towards the front door to the hectic streets outside. Darcy reached out to grab one of the two glass double doors, but she was soon interrupted by Steve with a gentle brush on the shoulder. Darcy shivered involuntarily, looking to the Captain for an explanation.

"Please, let me," Steve offered, holding open the door for Darcy. She couldn't help but smile again, a light blush now permanent on her cheeks. Handsome, and a gentleman. Who could ask for more?

"And they say chivalry is dead. Thank you," she replied sweetly, stepping through the door and waiting a moment for the giant of a man to emerge.

"A woman is to be treated with respect and grace. Like my dad used to say, you..." Steve began, his face dropping the moment he brought up his father. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, Darcy immediately stopping to be at his side. He looked to the ground, the realization suddenly hitting him again: his parents were dead, Peggy was dead, everyone that he had cared about back then was dead...

His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle hand on his forearm. His eyes shot to the owner of the hand, finding Darcy giving him her best sympathetic smile. She rubbed his forearm comfortingly, knowing that this had to be hard. He had been asleep for seventy years, almost everyone he had known had passed on... It had to be tough, waking up in a world that was your own, but that you didn't recognize.

"I'm sorry, Stevie... I know this must be hard, but I'm here for you," she cooed, using a nickname to try to make him feel more comfortable. It seemed to work, because he visibly lightened up again. He covered her hand with his own for a moment, gently squeezing it in response. He gave her a sad smile before releasing her hand, Darcy letting it drop back to her side.

"It is, but... thank you. For listening, that is. It's been many years sense I've been able to speak so freely with someone... But, like my dad used to say: 'You treat every girl you meet like you would treat your own mother'," Steve finally quoted, feeling a bit of his pain leave as the words left his mouth.

"He must have been a great man," she replied sweetly, absolutely loving Steve's fathers quote. She was caught off guard when her friend started laughing bitter-sweetly. She looked up to his face, hoping for an explanation.

"He was a drunk, but he had his moments," Steve confided once more, giving her another sad smile. He continued to walk once more, sticking close to Darcy so they wouldn't get separated. She continued to walk as well, now being able to keep up with the Captain with his slowed pace.

"Everyone has their flaws, but that doesn't mean they can't be good people. I mean, look at me, I have a serious twittering problem, but I'm still pretty cool," Darcy comforted once again, adding another joke in an attempt to cheer him up. When he looked to her with a stumped expression, it took her a moment to remember why he was confused.

"A littering problem?" Steve questioned, confused as to why she would have a problem throwing away her trash.

"Oh, no, no. It's kind of a new thing. I'll teach you about it later on," Darcy quickly replied, holding back on explaining what Twitter was before she even told him what the Internet was. She would have to figure out some way to explain all these things to him without confusing him incredibly.

The two continued to talk about each others lives, Darcy telling Steve about her misadventures in Albuquerque High School, and Steve telling Darcy about his life before Dr. Erskine. As they talked and got more and more involved in each others stories, asking questions and voicing their thoughts, they almost walked right passed Stark tower. Once realizing their mistake, they entered the over the top sky scraper. They were greeted by high, arched ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and glass elevators that had speed comparable to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elevator. A super model of a receptionist sat behind an over-sized marble front desk, behind her a mural of Iron Man himself guiding the nuke that threatened the city to the Chitauri war ship.

After sharing a couple jokes about how vain Tony Stark was for putting up such a self-flattering portrait, they approached the front desk. Before Darcy could even whisper a word of who she was or what she wanted, the receptionist started.

"Here you are, Miss. Lewis, the key card to your new suite. If you need help locating it, just ask Jarvis. He's been integrated by Mr. Stark himself into every room of this building. Thank you!" the blonde super model replied, handing Darcy a key card with 'Stark Industries' printed on it in bold letters.

"How did you-" Darcy began, shocked, wanting to know how this woman, whom she had never met or even seen at any point in her life, knew who she was and what she wanted before she even introduced herself.

"If you have any questions, please ask Jarvis. Thank you, Miss. Lewis," the blonde interrupted rudely before returning to faking paperwork on a laptop behind the desk. It became obvious to Darcy that the receptionist was just there for appearances, nothing substantial. Sighing to herself, annoyed, Darcy turned around to leave the front desk and to approach the giant glass elevator leading to the upper floors.

"I would like to escort you to your room, if you don't mind?" Steve asked politely, wanting to make sure that Darcy got to her room, and unknowingly just wanting to spend more time with the brunette.

"I'm supposed to be taking you to your room, you know," Darcy replied with a teasing smile, entering the see-through elevator. Steve followed behind her, squeezing himself into a corner so she could stand comfortably.

"I know, but it's always been ladies first," he replied, smiling his trademark smile that made Darcy melt. She smiled back once more, knowing that she didn't even want to confront him about her being able to make it to her room by herself. She was beginning to really enjoy the Captain's company. Not only that, but she felt like a real lady when he spoke to her. Like she was special.

"Okay, Stevie, I suppose you can," she replied playfully, lightly flirt punching him in the bicep. He just laughed, her punch not even phasing him. She truly was so small and fragile.

"Jarvis?" Darcy called out hesitantly, not sure if the impolite receptionist was serious about the A.I. unit being installed in the entire sky scraper. After a moment, a polite male voice replied to the brunette.

"Yes, Miss. Lewis?" the A.I. replied kindly out of a small speaker at the top of the elevator. Darcy sighed lightly, already sick of being called 'Miss. Lewis' all day. She was going to have a lot of trouble getting over that.

"Could you take me to my room... please?" Darcy asked politely, adding the please at the end for the sake of the artificial intelligence. She realized after she said it that it was dumb to be polite to a robot, but still felt like it was the right thing to do. Steve looked to her with a sweet smile, finding it endearing that the brunette before him would bother being nice to a being that no one else was nice to and that didn't even care if you were nice to it.

"Right away, Ma'am," Jarvis replied, the elevator lurching into action and shooting up thirty two floors. This time, Darcy was prepared, and grabbed onto the railing on the elevator before it took off. She briefly considered falling back again just so Steve could catch her, but she realized that it might be too cheesy.

As they arrived on floor 33 of the massive sky scraper, the glass door slid open silently, allowing entry to a myriad of hallways and doors. Already confused as to where she was, Jarvis's voice came out of a speaker on the ceiling in front of the pair.

"To get to your new suite, you will take the hallway to your left, then make a right turn. Your room will be suite number 303, on your left," the polite A.I. unit informed before the speaker went quiet again. Darcy followed the instructions Jarvis gave her, soon reaching her new room. She plunged the key card into the lock on her door, pushing open the door to be greeted by all of her possessions already packed and placed in cardboard boxes in the center of her room. She almost entered before she heard Steve cough lightly as if to get her attention. Turning to face him, he stood behind her, hands folded behind his back, looking like a sixth grade boy about to ask his crush to go to the dance with him.

"I'll meet you down here tomorrow, is that alright? Then maybe we could go to the pancake house for breakfast?" he asked politely, looking down at her with innocent doe eyes. He gave her a shy smile, hoping that she would say yes. Of course she was legally obligated to say yes now that she had accepted the job and signed the contract, but he didn't think about that.

Darcy stood in the doorway to her room, stunned, staring into the eyes of Captain America. Had he... had he asked her out on a date?

"Of course, Stevie, I'd love to get pancakes tomorrow," Darcy replied with a smile she couldn't contain. She had to adjust her glasses to keep from staring to hard into his eyes, not wanting her idol to think she was creepy.

Practically bouncing on his toes, Steve returned her smile with an accomplished grin, like he had just signed a treaty for world peace, or saved a child from a burning building. He hadn't felt this kind of a connection since... since Peggy.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," he replied enthusiastically, still lingering at her doorway. He just couldn't seem to look away from her for long enough to move his feet.

"See you tomorrow," Darcy replied sweetly, stuck in the same predicament as the Captain. She leaned against her door frame, trying to seem sweet but seductive like the girls back in the 40's. She felt awkward, but it seemed to be working on Steve.

"If you need anything, I'm on floor 52, room 507," he informed, still stuck in his same spot.

"If you need anything..." Darcy replied, glancing up at the plaque with her room number above the doorway, "Well, yeah..."

"Be safe now," Steve continued awkwardly, internally smacking himself for letting such a dumb comment slip past his lips. Darcy just giggled in response, finding it cute that he couldn't even leave yet.

"I'll try my best, Stevie," she teased lightly, tilting her head and smiling. She could stand here all day saying goodbye over and over again.

"I'll just..." Steve started, turning on his heels but looking like there was something else he wanted to say. Opening and closing his mouth a couple times before cupping his mouth and chin in his hands awkwardly.

"I'll just, yeah... See you, Darc," Steve finished awkwardly, waving shyly before walking quickly to the end of the hall. Darcy just smiled again, liking the nickname Steve had given her.

"Bye Stevie..." Darcy whispered under her breath as she watched the retreating Captain. Before he rounded the corner to the other hallway, he looked back towards her, waving again shyly when he saw she was still watching him from her door way. She blushed lightly, waving back, still smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. After watching him disappear down the hallway, she retreated to her room, finally taking in the sight of her new home.

The floors were carpeted with soft white colored carpeting, the walls painted a shade of blue that was more akin to white than blue. An entire wall of her suite was just ceiling to floor windows, giving her a spectacular view of the New York City sky line. A set of automatic glass doors lead to a balcony, protected by walls of safety glass, with a jacuzzi tucked away in the corner. A steely blue colored, U-shaped couch sat in the middle of the living room, surrounding a black wood coffee table. The couch faced an excessively large flat screen television mounted to the wall.

There were two reclining chairs resting in front of a recently lit fire place in the living room. Empty book cases, waiting to be filled, lined up from the fireplace to the dining room. A glass dining table and six cushioned black chairs sat in the middle of the dining room, another elaborate crystal chandelier hanging above the table. The kitchen was stocked with top of the line appliances and had the most pristine black marble counter tops Darcy had ever seen. The hallway lead into a bathroom the size of Darcy's old apartment, with black marble counter tops and a clawfoot bathtub. Darcy briefly wondered if Stark had been sick enough to put a bidet.

The bedroom had the same ceiling to floor windows as the living room, letting in the perfect amount of light at sunset. A king sized bed rested in the center of the room, an intricately carved headboard bolted to the wall behind it. The bed was already made, a downy lavender comforter accented by two dark purple pillows and three white throw pillows. A night stand stood at each side of the bed, ceramic lamps resting on each night stand. A black wood desk sat next to one of the night stands, a black cushioned chair neatly pushed in. Across from the bed hung another unnecessarily large television, prompting Darcy to wonder how much money Stark spent on these suites, and how much money S.H.I.E.L.D. paid Stark. Finally, there was a walk in closet that Darcy couldn't ever hope to fill.

Feeling overwhelmed, Darcy returned to the living room, flopping down on the unworldly comfortable couch. She found her backpack resting on the cushion next to her, and silently thanked Agent Caine for not burning all of her belongings. She immediately reached into the front pocket of her bag, pulling out her iPhone.

Unlocking the device, she discovered that she had over fifty missed calls, two from Jane and the rest from her landlord. She had over fifteen voice mails, and reluctantly began listening to one.

'Darcy! This is Mrs. Wytes! I was checking on your neighbor Mr. Abernathy, and-and I noticed there was a crowbar lodged in your door frame! You were robbed, everything is gone! Please call me back so I know your okay!'

"Shit!" Darcy cussed loudly. She had thought S.H.I.E.L.D. would have had a key made to her apartment, or had at least had some graceful plan for getting her things. Plans that didn't involve crowbars and her having to call her overbearing landlady to tell her she wasn't kidnapped. Sighing heavily, she called back Mrs. Wytes to try to explain why all of her stuff was gone and why she wasn't coming back.


End file.
